WalMart's gentleman's agreement in Longmont to build a Sam's Club along with a new SuperCenter is reported in the Times Call to be off the table, making city planners a bit anxious and threatening hardball.
The Sam's Club part of the deal struck in March is said to have been the sweetener that made the deal fly. Now WalMart corporate refuses to commit to the Sam's Club component, leaving Longmont in the position of refusing to fund public improvements as punishment. Too bad the city's agreement with them wasn't all or nothing. Meaning, too bad they don't have veto power over the SuperCenter given the apparent flipping off WalMart corporate is sending in lieu of the Sam's Club.
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6 comments:
A little bird told me that if the Union Annex gets voted down, the WalMart itself might not get built.
What would be the connection, doog? I thought Union had already been approved by Weld and was going to happen with or without annexation.
I fear the reason Sams club is backing out is the issue of Life Bridge Union Annex conflict with the city council and the petition drive to put it to a vote of the citizens. Longmont residents are much smarter than Mayor Pirnack wants them to be. She stepped in the ole cow pie when she announced in the Times Call that, “To expect the public to become educated enough to make a reasonable decision…is ridiculous.”
With faith and leadership in her tone it is easy to see why the Walmart folks are backing away. The petition drive netted over 2,000 more signatures than needed to put it to a vote of the people. As a business person I don't think I would want to build on swamp land. Stay in touch as these are interesting times in our little quagmire of Longmont,Co. Those ignorant hicks up in swamp town just managed to make history with their referendum petition. And, the POWER goes to the PEOPLE
Wishful thinking, Anon. With over 3,400 WalMarts and nearly 600 Sam's Clubs in the U.S., and 2,700 additional stores in 13 foreign countries, WalMart operates in much more politically unstable environs than Longmont could ever be.
This is strictly a business decision on WalMart's part, with no regard or connection to Lifebridge or anything else political that's going on in Longmont.
Now, would WalMart use any local uncertainty to squeeze something from the city? Sure they would. But, it's all about the money with the boys and girls from Bentonville. Nothing more, nothing less.
Please, a Union and Walmart connection, that's really stretching things. It's not really an angle I'd go after if I was anti-Union and anti-Walmart. Go ahead and let it leak (before the election) that this group helped killed a wanted SamsClub and see how well it works out (it won't). There have been p-o'd people writing in about no SamsClub in the TC, wanna take credit? Go for it, step into a steaming pile. Strategically dumb. If this is your position, speak up, I'll be more than happy to spread it around.
This Wallmart project, like the last one, doesn't need Longmont's help for road improvements. Yes, they needed and still need annexation to get utilities from the city, but they don't need the city's money to re-build the intersections.
Longmont spent approx $11M on the north Wallmart SuperCenter. $8M was for new intersections and road widening.
If anyone takes a look at what Wally has done in other places, there was no really good reason to drop millions for Wally. Wally picked this spot. Like Union, Wally would build their little commercial paradise without the city's help. They would have built the roads and paid for them themselves. We didn't need to help them. And for those that think that Wally would have built substandard stuff, let's recall that they've been annexed, so they'd have to follow city codes.
Now we look at the next Wally World at Hwy 119 & WCR 1. It's been annexed and the construction has been approved. Longmont has no need to pay for road improvements - Wally can and will pay. Wally's done that elsewhere, and they have the deep pockets to do it here.
With two Wallmarts already in town, why do we need to pay for upgrades for a third one. Evidently, Wally thinks Longmont is prime - so what to they need our help for?
I agree with Chris on the Union/Wally World connection being highly dubious. I find it more likely that they want to put up the Sam's Club somewhere else nearby, but not next to a Super Wally. I'd guess that they are looking toward Frederick/Firestone/Dacono.
Giant corporations rarely care what tiny burgs do, unless it is highly uninviting. Such as Boulder.
The way to keep Wally World out is to raise sales taxes so high that no one wants to shop here. That'll fix it!
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